Chapter 7 A WHOLE NEW WORLD! Joyce Jumps in Feet First We'd only seen Joyce once while in the area, but I knew everything was in Divine Order and Divine Timing. Even when Bobbie's computer locked up and then all the programs were lost when it was fixed, I kept focused on God's Divine Plan. However, I did suggest to Joyce that it seemed like a good idea for her to buy her own computer, especially since they were practically giving them away these days. She remained adamant against adding to her charge account, and I readily agreed with her reasoning. Yet, when she told me about the President's Day Specials, I reiterated that a Whole New World would open to her, if she had her own computer, emphasizing that it would give her a feeling of authority and control, and authenticity for her part in the Money Makeovers partnership; in other words she would feel more ownership. When she called to say she had the day off and wondered if we could get together so Van could reprogram Homestead (our sitebuilder) onto the computer, I explained that he would be having lunch with Jim. But, I asked Van if he could give her the instructions over the phone, and he agreed to give it a try. Sure enough, Joyce got the Homestead back in place with our Money Makeovers website. I praised her for being able to follow through and do that, adding that I sure wouldn't have been able to. However, I felt so certain that it was God's Divine Plan for her to have her own computer that I wondered why she was doing this. As she listed her fears about having her own, such as not knowing how to do it, I reminded her how much she had already learned, and also that she would have service available from the dealership, and she would be able to ask Van, just as she had done this time. She said, "Well, God is telling me that I should get my own, while Van is here to help me set it up, especially with all these sales going on." I almost shouted "Hooray!" But I said, "Well look in the paper and see which one you want to buy." "I threw out the Sunday paper, and besides I'd need Van to tell me which one." "Oh, I just bought a paper last night, I can save it for you, and we can go looking, after Van returns," I suggested. "Okay, I'll jump in feet first and go ahead and put it on my credit card. It'll be my investment." I could literally feel the energy shift, as Joyce made this momentous decision, and I said, "I just know it's going to open a whole new world for you." I felt good that Joyce was willing to get off her position, because she had been holding onto the fact that she had invested a large sum of money in the MLM business, which "Didn't work out," as she puts it. I said, "Well, it did work out, though not the way we thought it would. And you really need to let go of what happened then, and be open to something new." Making Room for the New When Jim arrived, I asked if he were on a time schedule and he said that he had to be home at 3:00 to give Patty her medication, which would give them plenty of time for lunch and a visit when they returned. I called Joyce to let her know when we would be ready and she sounded excited as she said, "I've already got my desk cleared off in my room and called to have my credit card reactivated." As we talked, she announced that the Goodwill truck had arrived, adding, "I even got rid of some books to make more room for my computer." Her energies were really jumping and I could almost feel the membership checks being written and deposited in the bank. The truth is that even though Money Makeovers was lost from Bobbie's computer, it was intact on the Homestead site, so the magnetism from this activity would literally draw people to the website. Thank You, God! In the meantime, while Van and Jim did lunch, I added more material to my Transformations12Powers website, because I knew that we would be busy getting Joyce's computer installed and loaded. When Van and Jim returned, they told a story similar to the one Joyce and I had experienced: the pancake house had become a Jack in the Box and Le Peep was closed down. But they finally enjoyed a good meal and visit at Coco's. Both looked revitalized from their outing and I knew it had been Divine Order for them to get away from their respective mates for awhile. After their return, Jim visited a short time and then left to give his wife her medication. When It's Right it's Right! Within a few minutes Joyce arrived and away we went to Office Depot. Van had studied the various ads and concluded that their HP computer system, with its rebates would be the right one for her. Joyce had been concerned about adding the $1,000.00 to her credit card, until the rebate check arrived, and she was delighted to learn that it was deducted from the purchase price, leaving only $600.00 balance, and another $200.00 rebate to be returned from HP. Furthermore, the salesclerk entered the entire rebate transaction on the computer for her, before she even bought it. All she had to do was answer the required questions. Of course, he tried to upgrade her choice, but she remained adamant; even when he announced that they'd sold all but the floor model monitor, he tried to convince her that the next size would only cost an additional $100.00. But she said, "It's still another $100.00," and she took the floor model. Then he tried to sell her additional warranty insurance, but she remained steadfast in saying "No." After all, it came with a one-year warranty and she could always call Van. This entire transaction reminded me that Joyce is good at knowing when to say "Yes" and when to say "No," as I describe in my chapter, Do it Anyway, which appears on her webpages of our Money Makeovers website. It felt so right for her to buy her own computer at this time, while Van would be here to help install and set it up, which he did that very night. Joyce stood by for whatever he requested that she do herself in order to feel ownership. I supported by unwrapping and opening the packages, but I knew this project was between Van and Joyce, and they have always worked well together, so I stayed in the living room and worked the jigsaw puzzle. But, I was on hand to hear the momentous words, "Welcome to your HP computer system." And she was ready to operate her brand new computer with its Millennium Processor and modern color and design; no more white square box, but a sleek silverish model that looks like a piece of furniture and actually enhances the bedroom decor, where she chose to have it placed on her desk for privacy and convenience. To Each Their Own Joyce absolutely radiated confidence and pleasure as she surveyed the finished setup and realized that it was hers to use anytime she wanted, without awaiting the use of her roommate, Bobbie's computer. And, of course, Bobbie admired the new addition to the household, and probably rejoiced that they each had their own computer. Now they could both spend their evenings and spare time doing their individual projects. What Can I do For You? Joyce had asked, "What can I do for you?" Actually, we were so delighted to support her in having her own computer that we hadn't even thought in terms of payment. It's just what friends do for each other. She had already prepared and served us some delicious warmed-up stew that Bobbie had made, and she let us take her car home so we could return the next day to complete the loading process. And we would also be able to do our errands and shopping, while we had access to her car. So there was no question; we just wanted her to enjoy it. "I've Gotta go..." The next morning, after installing Joyce's new computer, I called to read her what I'd written so far. When she said she'd tried to call us, but couldn't get through, I realized that I'd neglected to reconnect my phone. Turns out she wanted Van to tell her, again, how to download the Homestead material onto her computer like she'd done the day before onto Bobbie's. He told her, again, but she couldn't do it, while they talked, because she was now using her own phone line for her computer. So we chatted awhile about the imminent floodgates opening for our websites to prosper. She asked if I'd seen the TV commercial about some people opening a website business and rejoicing over a few responses, and then becoming inundated and shouting "Wow!" I said, "That's a good visualization for us." After I shared about several people being interested in my other websites, she said, "I've gotta go, now, because I want to download Homestead." When I hung up, I told Van what she'd said and he almost choked on his breakfast. We both laughed in great glee to hear those words from Joyce. Hooray! Another happy computer owner. The next day when I called, her line was busy, and when I finally reached her, she said she'd been on her computer and had some questions for Van, about registering to use her Word Processor. She had no time to talk, as she said, "I've gotta go so I can get some writing done on my computer." Like I said, "It's a Whole New World." Van's Whole New World While Joyce had been doing her computer purchase transactions, Van bought a Zip program to back-up all my files and folders, because I'd seen what happened to Bobbie when her computer locked-up. In fact, it had once happened to one of mine, so I didn't want to lose all of my books, and felt it a worthwhile investment to make this purchase. In addition, he bought Little Ralph an advanced level Casino program to challenge his fascination with numbers, since he'd already fathomed the first one he'd bought. Not to be outdone, I bought a computer solitaire program for Joanie; not as a challenge, but for relaxation and fun. Van spent one evening trying to figure them out and the next day getting my books backed up. All of which took him into a whole new world of advanced technology. On the other hand, installing Joyce's printer brought him to a dead end, because it didn't work. After he studied the instructions and kept going down the hole with no cheese, he decided to return it to Office Depot for a new one. He usually isn't willing to go by himself, but neither Joyce nor I wanted to go, so he bravely set out on his own, driving Joyce's car. He soon returned with a gleeful exclamation, "It works!" I realized that this was a sense of accomplishment that he wouldn't have had, if we had gone along. God is so subtle in His experiential aides. In any event, Van explained that the ink cartridges hadn't been tightly snapped into position, and once done, it worked perfectly. Joyanna's Whole New World My whole new world came about in a different way. I knew that I needed to withdraw $500.00 to pay for my websites being upgraded, and I was more than willing to do it. However, I needed to get to the rather inaccessible bank, so having Joyce's car provided the perfect opportunity, and she had agreed that we keep it an extra day. I knew the bank had changed ownership, but I hadn't realized that the last quarterly statement had informed us that if we didn't contact them within ten days the account would go into a closed certificate. So, when I asked to withdraw my money, the clerk went into confusion and sent for the Branch Manager. I must admit, she was extremely polite and patient as she explained the situation, which bottom-lined that I couldn't get my money. Whew! What a shock. But Van asked about the penalty and learned that we could withdraw the money by paying the $30.00 penalty. This would mean that we could no longer have our money in the interest-bearing CD, but we could place the remainder of the money in a Savings Account. However, I would still have the problem of limited accessibility to my money, so grieving the loss of my account, I decided to withdraw the entire amount and place it in my regular bank, where I would have easier access across the country. In fact, Van even had this bank on-line, so he can transact all business whenever and wherever he needs to. Since he handles my banking, too, this made sense. Sadly I bid farewell to my own little bank and joined the ranks of the big kids, so to speak. Actually, I had originally opened the account in our regular bank, too, over twenty-years ago, so the transaction simply meant that I upgraded my financial consciousness. While awaiting the New Account person, we noticed that she was assisting an elderly couple who were withdrawing large stacks of bills and stuffing them in a manila envelope. I cringed at the thought of these people carrying all this money around, but hopefully they were on their way to buy an RV or car, or maybe a new home, and would soon reach their destination. I said a little prayer of protection as they left the bank. In any event, just seeing that much cash sure opened up a "whole new world" of money consciousness for me, and making my small, but important transaction, still seemed a momentous event; mainly because this was the last of the money from my dad's legacy that Arlene had given each of us kids several years ago. I'd used most of my share to buy Freedom, and I'd saved the rest for investment, as needed, for my website expenses. So, now the time had come to use a portion and it felt exciting, but scary, to withdraw all of it, even though I was not spending all at this time. "...Swim Out to it" Since we had the use of Joyce's car, Van made appointments for us to have our teeth cleaned at our favorite dentist's office; a "whole new world" I would just as soon miss. But I knew it was time, and it's important to take care of our teeth. And I had appeased Joanie by making an appointment for a massage, later in the day. So, she had succumbed to the inevitable, and entertained herself with the posters on the wall. However, the newest one puzzled her: a somewhat cartoon picture of someone in scuba gear standing at the edge of a pier, with a rubber duck and several other kids toys in the picture. The caption read, "If your ship hasn't come in, swim out to it." A ship stood at anchor way out in the harbor, and Joanie is no dummy. She figured out that to swim that far, one would drown. Dumb idea, in her opinion. And what if the ship wasn't there at all? She understood the philosophy that we shouldn't just stand around and wait for our good to come to us, but we should do something to make it happen; or go out to meet it. But, the logic of swimming out to a boat eluded her. Joanie really felt duped when the dentist came in to examine her teeth, after the cleaning, and announced that she needed a tooth filled, and they had time to do it right then. Bummer! This was not on her agenda; cleaning, okay, but not a filling. Yet, she agreed, because she knows that she needs to keep her teeth so she can enjoy eating the rest of her life; but she still felt she'd been ripped-off However she was comforted by the thought of having a massage. But when she learned that Van needed to return in two hours for more dental work, and there might not be enough time, she drew the line. So, going to the cleaners and tailors got dropped, and Van delivered me to Denise's (a friend and massage therapist), rushed back to the dentist, and later returned to collect me (a fifty-mile round trip). Nevertheless, he felt good about himself for his accomplishments. And the day wasn't over, yet. We still had to drive another twenty-miles to Joyce's. And we still didn't have time for Van's clothes to be done. But, when I confronted him about not wanting to do it, anyway, he admitted that he didn't feel this was the time. We Are Not Victims Another sterling example to prove that what we want to work out does; and what we really don't want to work out, for whatever conscious or subconscious reason, doesn't. Of course, we aren't always willing to admit this truth, but if we honestly examine the situation, we will find an underlying explanation for life's happenings. In other words, we are not victims. The beauty of this truth is that if we admit that we create our own reality by our thinking or desires, then we can change the circumstances. It isn't easy, and most of us have worked hard (usually on a subconscious level) to create the conditions that bring us attention, or whatever else is on our hidden agenda, so we aren't willing to give them up. Powerful isn't it? In fact, we get upset, or even angry, with anyone who tries to take them away from us. Now, here is "a whole new world" that might open a can of worms that can cause serious repercussions. For instance, if these statements touch a sensitive spot for you, and you are feeling anger toward me, or other emotions, then you may want to examine them and start swimming. "Leave the Driving to Us" The above slogan for a bus company came to mind when Van and I ventured from our home to Joyce's, after having returned her car. She still needed one more day of support and training, before we moved on, so we began our trek on the 301 and went all the way to the Oceanside Transit Center. Talk about trains and busses; it was loaded, and even a Greyhound bus was loading passengers at its terminal, while an Amtrak train waited nearby on its tracks, before moving on. The bus drivers congregated in one spot for their social hour, while we waited between transfers to 313. A young black mother seemed to be giving her kids a lesson in tough love, as she insisted they wait alone, while she went to the store. But their abandonment fears were causing them to cry and cling to her. I figured they'd, no doubt, be tougher for dealing with life's challenges. A young man in a wheelchair waited for his bus, and when it came, we watched the loading device roll out its ramp and he easily backed on and rolled into place on the bus. I had become concerned that we were going to get stranded at some bus stop near Joyce's, so when the driver arrived, I asked the right questions and learned that it takes a big loop and then stops at the bottom of the hill by Joyce's. With that relief, we settled down for the long ride, passing through familiar areas that we had once frequented by car. But, since Highway 76 had been opened, we hadn't seen the changes: KMart had been sold and a brightly painted indoor flea market took its place. Many businesses had come and gone, but the Mexican fast food restaurants seemed to flourish. Van loved being able to see all the sights, without worrying about the driving, and I commented on the convenience that is offered by the bus company. At that point, there weren't many people on board, and I said, "It's like having our own limo." He replied, "Yah, we have a $150,000.00 limo to ride around in." The idea added a touch of luxury to our consciousness. But, when we drove through the residential area that housed the families of the Camp Pendleton marines, many more folks got on board and road around the loop, getting off at the mall, apparently heading to the theaters. Although a young mother, with her child and folded stroller, alit at the Wal-Mart mall, across the highway. We were nearly at Joyce's and I said, "Well, it's only been 45-minutes from Oceanside." Van replied, "About the same time as our short-cut the other day when I drove Joyce's car." We both laughed, because we had actually driven way out of our way, taking so long that we were hungry and stopped to eat. By the time we reached Joyce's, we only had 1/2 hour and then had to return in time for our visit with Bob Davey. But he arrived and said he was sick, so went home. It was one of those "nothing's working right" days. Everything Went Right However, this day, on the bus, everything went right, as we alit and walked up the hill to Joyce's. We even enjoyed the walk, although a light sprinkle had begun, as we stopped to enjoy shrubs blooming along a hillside: rainbow colors of red, purple, pink, blue and yellow in a background of greenery. Joyce had expected to meet us someplace along the way and was surprised when we arrived at her door. She immediately enrolled Van's assistance in filling out the registration for her $200.00 rebate, while we sat at the table and rested from the climb up the hill. Then she and Van headed for the computer, while I worked the jigsaw puzzle by myself, as Bobbie had gone to Mexico for the day. Actually, I wasn't alone; Jinxy, Joyce's Siamese cat, for whom she named her new e-mail, sat on my lap part of the time. And sometimes I chuckled, as I heard Joyce and Van exchanging computer talk. And it wasn't until later in the day that she finally reached overload and suggested that they quit, saying, "All right, I've had enough for today. Let's go to Hometown Buffet." She now felt confident and ready to take over on her own with her computer expertise, thanks to Van's patient instructions. Except for Hometown Buffet The predicted rain had set in by the time we arrived for dinner and began looking for a parking place. Suddenly Joyce said, "Oh Oh, look at that!" A large tour bus had parked in front of Hometown Buffet and passengers were unloading and lining up to eat. "Let's not eat here," I suggested, and everyone agreed. "So where shall we eat?" Joyce asked. Our inner kids were so disappointed that we couldn't think of anyplace else, so Joyce agreed to drive to the Hometown Buffet in San Marcos, on the shortcut route that we had taken the other day. And we all decided it was worth the extra distance, because it was somewhat on the way home, anyway. Joyce's heater wasn't working and the rain was pelting on the windshield, which her squeaky wipers labored to keep clear, but we finally arrived in the vicinity of the restaurant and made a few wrong turns before finding the obscured parking lot hidden in the industrial area. When we finally arrived, it was packed, and we noticed the people standing in line outside. If we'd stayed in Oceanside, we would have been eating by now, but instead we would have to wait even longer. However, the consensus of three hungry kids insisted that we wait here, no matter how long it took. At least we were under the shelter of the roof overhang and the time went quite quickly. For sure, the delicious ribs made it all worthwhile. Are You Ready for This? As we approached our last few days in Paradise, I wondered how this chapter would end, assuming that it would be about Joyce's whole new computer ownership world. And, indeed, she did call for further instructions from Van when she inadvertently deleted her Money Comments webpage. But, within minutes he had her up and running. Nevertheless, we made arrangements to stop, on our way out of town, so Van could give her more input. Otherwise, she was soaring. No, the whole new world I would be writing about came in the form of another visit from Bob Davey, and I knew that these sessions were one reason for us staying here for this month, especially since he would be moving back to Philadelphia and we might not see him again. In any event, he arrived late in the afternoon of laundry day, which had been completed, and Van was scanning the last pictures for Journey of Awareness. I felt good, because we were accomplishing what I'd hoped to complete, before leaving. Southern California was in the midst of its "hard winter," which meant heavy rains for a few days, and Bob quickly came in and seated himself in the recliner, as Van gave him a glass of water and then returned to the computer for some quiet updates, while intently listening to Bob's wisdom imparted midst stories and sips of water. I'd settled on the sofa, ready for more enlightenment, as the afternoon eased into early evening. Indeed, the subject was actually about Light. We launched into orbit when our resident scholar began by telling about his latest adventure in the book store, purchasing, among six other items, Wizard of Quarks, about the sub-atomical particles, such as nuons and liptons, which are smaller than atoms. In my day, I thought the atom was as small as it gets, but the splitting of the atom truly opened a whole new world. And, as a sidelight, I'd learned in metaphysics that another component of the atom is love, which Paul called "the mystery hidden for ages," and "Christ in you, your hope of glory." It is that God Essence or Divine Substance that composes every existing thing. By the time Bob left, he had explained the living proof that has now been confirmed by scientists, as well as metaphysicians, and religionists, that our thoughts do control our lives, because with the mind we can actually move the particles around. Let me see if I can put it into simple terms so that I can understand it myself more clearly. It has to do with the Uncertainty Principle, a theory discovered by Werner von Heisenberg, who won the 1932 Nobel Peace Prize and contributed to modern philosophical thinking. According to the Encyclopedia: "the Uncertainty Principle, in quantum mechanics, the theory stating that it is impossible to specify simultaneously the position and momentum of a particle with precision. The theory further states that a more accurate determination of one quantity will result in a less precise measurement of the other, and that the product of both uncertainties is never less than Planck's constant. This uncertainty results from the fundamental nature of the particles being observed. Formulated in 1927 by German physicist Werner Heisenberg, the uncertainty principle was of great significance in the development of quantum theory." Okay, got that? In other words it's the theory that Light consists of waves and particles. Bob explains it this way: it's like an entire peach symbolizing the atom, but the fuzz on the peach symbolizes the waves and particles, and these particles move in waves. In other words, things aren't what they seem; what seems to be solid, is actually in constant movement, subject to the variables imposed upon it. So, if thoughts are energy you can manipulate other energy to create the result that you desire. This is where science and metaphysics come together. For instance, scientists found this to be true when they tried to prove their theories and through the power of thought-energy whenever they approached the project, the results would accommodate the thought-energy. Interesting, to say the least! Therefore, it would seem to be that whatever your belief, it can be proven to be true and yours are no more right than anyone else's, because theirs, too, can be proven. And, if you don't like the circumstances of your life, change your thoughts and beliefs. Surprisingly, lightning will not strike you dead, nor the other persons for their beliefs. Okay, enough of the theory of the Uncertainty Principle. Here's where it gets even more interesting. We each have a soul-print, like our fingerprint, and the soul-print consists of who we are (essence, or particles, including our God-essence) and our story: the path we're on with all its ups and downs; in other words our history (waves). Our soul-print is our Light. Bob emphasized that the worst thing we can do is try to be someone else (take on their identity, characteristics), rather than being true to ourselves, and he gave an illustration of a chameleon trying to cross pavement and turning black (they change color according to what they are on). Along comes a car and squishes the chameleon, because the driver can't see to avoid it. A most vivid illustration and a caution to be who you are. The most wonderful part of this dissertation is to know that we have choices. We are not victims of circumstances. We can choose to make changes in our reality, if we really want to; if the present conditions are not serving some purpose; conscious or unconscious. Has this taken you into A Whole New World yet? If not, you might want to investigate the subject further, with an open mind. Start in the Encyclopedia with "A" for atom. I did in order to write this. "We No Longer Need You" Which reminds me, we need a little levity in all this, so here is a story that Van likes to tell. It came via e-mail from a friend: One day a group of scientists got together and decided that man had come a long way and no longer needed God. They picked one scientist to go and tell Him that they were done with Him. The scientist walked up to God and said, "God, we've decided that we no longer need you. We're to the point that we can clone people and do many miraculous things, so why don't you just go on and get lost." God listened patiently and kindly to the man and after the scientist was done talking, God said, "Very well! How about this? Let's have a man making contest." To which the man replied, "OK, great!" But God added, "Now we're going to do this just like I did back in the old days with Adam." The scientist said, "Sure, no problem" and bent down and grabbed himself a handful of dirt. God just looked at him and said, "No, no, no. You go get your own dirt!" Another Reality: Judy Garland After all the above inspiring interchange, Van and I watched the second part of Judy Garland's life story. It was difficult living through it with her, at the time, and worse watching the TV drama unfold, because it added all the sad details. Furthermore, with my years of therapy and recovery, I am much more aware of my own relationship to her daughter, Lorna Luft's experience, having gone through similar circumstances with a mentally ill mother for my first few years, and then being raised by an alcoholic adopted mother, and finally suffering from the pain of a mentally ill daughter, whom I saw reflected in Judy's behavior. Yet, Judy was living out her destiny, no doubt, and she loved performing and sharing her great talent. And she gave us such classics as Dorothy in Wizard of Oz and singing Somewhere Over the Rainbow. And her pot o' gold was her three children whom she dearly loved, and who have gone on to give their talents to the world, including Liza Minnelli's emulation of her mother, as a singer, and unfortunately, as an addict. Speaking of Rainbows The next morning, when I awoke, it was raining hard, again making this a really hard winter: raining three days in a row. I noticed the traffic had become bumper-to-bumper, and I realized that there must be an accident on the freeway, because those in-the-know divert to Highway 101, preferring to creep, rather than standing still. I happily entered my chapter additions and when the rain stopped and the sun came out, I rushed to the window, saying, "I know it's here someplace." Sure enough, a beautiful arched rainbow formed to the northwest, in front of the dark stormy sky. The storm had passed and life was moving on. |
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